


The Morning After

by gillyandersons



Category: Last Tango In Halifax
Genre: Drunkenness, F/F, Gay, Lesbian Character, Love, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 17:42:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4401293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gillyandersons/pseuds/gillyandersons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gillian wakes up in Caroline's bed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Morning After


    A dull throbbing in your head pulls you from your dreams and you immediately screw your eyes back shut, wincing due to both the drumming in your head and the sunlight blinding you. You groan as you become aware of how dry your mouth is, the stale, acidic taste on your tongue and the nausea bubbling in your stomach.   
      
    That and your very strong need to pee.   
      
    As you go to roll onto your side, you feel a weight shift against your hip and hold you closer, mumbling something incoherent against your skin.   
      
    It takes you a moment or two to come to and realise that the weight belongs to a person. And a very naked person.   
      
    And... Oh crap! You're naked too.   
      
    How much wine did you even drink last night?   
      
    Whatever, you shrug it off as the strong need to pee becomes overwhelming. You've yet to crack your eyes open fully, but you know your way around your home well enough to make it to the toilet withou-OW!   
      
    You curse a strong of expletives as your eyes open and you clutch your shin. When the HELL did that table get there?! You think, suddenly wondering why your worn old carpet has been replaced with real hardwood flooring.   
      
    Despite working on a farm, you've never been a morning person, especially when you're this hungover, but you're starting to think that maybe you are not in your own home.   
      
    Great, you're stark naked and in some random house!   
      
    Thankfully though, there appears to be an en suite and you disappear in there before whoever it is in the bed wakes up.   
      
    With a heavy sigh, you run the cold water tap and splash your face. The cold water is a shock to your system and wakes you up. (Although not enough for you to notice all the ladies products in the bathroom; the pink bathrobe, the lotions, the expensive makeup, shampoo, a hair dryer and a box of tampons for Christ sake!).   
      
    This isn't your first rodeo so you know what to do; gather your clothes as quickly and as quietly as possible and leave before whoever you fucked wakes up.   
      
    After splashing some more water on your face, you return to the bedroom and spy your green and white plaid shirt strewn on the floor. As you pick it up, you notice a black pencil skirt next to it. And it certainly isn't yours.   
      
    Oh bollocks! You've gone and shagged a married man! Shit!   
      
    The skirt reminds you of Caroline but you quickly shrug off that thought almost as quickly as it came. Stupid bloody woman! Stupid bloody crush!   
      
    You can't help but smirk as you spy your bra hanging from the lampshade and figure you must have had a good night with... Whoever.   
      
    As you grab your bra, your eyes wonder over to be bed and land on a creamy expanse of bare skin. Such beautiful, delicate skin. They roll over and groan and your heart pounds hard against your rib cage as the deep curve of their hip pokes out the duvet.   
      
    That certainly isn't a mans hip!   
      
    Your eyes bulge as you come to the conclusion that you fucked a woman. Okay so it's not exactly the first time, you did shag your boyfriends sister when you were 15. Several times. And then there was a few drunken fumbles with the rebellious vicars daughter. But what was all back when you were a kid and you had thought nothing of it until you started developing feelings for your lesbian step sister.   
      
    You must have been so caught up in your thoughts that you hadn't even realised whoever it was had started to wake up. You quickly make a dash for the door when you hear the hoarse, croaking "Gillian?".   
      
    FUCK.   
      
    You stop dead in your tracks, hoping that by not moving whoever it is can't see you. Dumb luck.   
      
    "Gillian, wait!"   
      
    You roll your eyes and take a deep breath, ignoring the tiny voice in your head that's telling you whoever it is sounds a lot like Caroline.   
      
    Come to think of it, you're almost certain Caroline has this wallpaper in her hall.   
      
    You couldn't have, could you?   
      
    But before you can think about it, you feel a hand wrap around your wrist. The fingers are so smooth, so delicate and the hold is both strong and pleading. Your back is still towards them, but you can feel their warm breath wash over your neck. You can smell their perfume. It's the same perfume that makes your knees go weak. Your chest tightens and your skin prickles as that all too familiar feeling of them invading your senses overcomes you.   
      
    The words are out of your mouth before you even know you've spoken them.   
      
    "Caroline?"   
      
    You feel the baby soft smooth of her thumb stroking our forearm and her grip tightening around your wrist slightly.   
      
    "Please don't leave" her voice is so quiet you can barely hear it, and there's something so un-characteristic in the way she pleads with you. You can almost see those big blue puppy dog eyes, how sad they look. And recently, when have you ever been able to deny them?   
      
    You want to run, to sprint for the hills and not look back. As strong as your feelings are for the woman clinging to your wrist, this just feels too real. Too overwhelming. But another part of you, a slightly bigger part, wants nothing more than to crawl back into bed with her and hold her in your arms forever. This could finally be what you've been wishing for for months.   
      
    You tense your arm and she relinquishes her hold, and you instantly miss it. You turn to face her and your already shaky breath hitches as you realise she's only got the thin bed sheet wrapped around her body. And dear God those curves are going to drive you insane.   
      
    "I'm-I'm sorry" you croak, scalding yourself for letting the emotions in your voice show. You don't know what you're apologising for but you say those words all the same.   
      
    Stupid fucking cheap wine!   
      
    "Oh"   
      
    She sounds hurt. Heck, you're stupid enough to flick your eyes up towards her face and see pain etched all over it. And damn, she is still so bloody beautiful.   
      
    You turn to walk away again, needing the fresh air more than anything right now.   
      
    "I do too, by the way"   
      
    And for the second time in as many minutes, you stop dead in your tracks. Caroline McKenzie-Dawson's words knocking the wind from you.   
      
    "You were pretty pissed last night and I don't know how much, if anything, you even remember... But I feel the same way"   
      
    You feel her step closer to you, her foot falls silent against the cold wooden floor. Your back is still to her and you don't even know if you have the strength to turn around.   
      
    "Please don't shut me out or push me away. If you want to forget about last night, then fine. If you never want to see me again, I-I understand. But please don't run. Just talk to me"   
      
    Fight or flight. Fight or flight.   
      
    The front door is looking like a beautiful option right now, but this is Caroline for crying out loud. You would walk through broken glass I she asked you to!   
      
    Who would have thought that a stuck up, snotty, blonde woman would turn you soft.   
      
    "I'm not going anywhere"   
      
    And you bloody well mean it. In every sense somebody could interpret that.   
      
    "My Mums got Flora till Sunday" she says, obviously picking up on the fact your head had tilted towards the light pink door down the hall. "I'm just gonna get dressed and then meet you in the kitchen?"   
      
    "Sure" you clear your throat, your gaze fixed on your tatty old converse.   
      
    "You um... You will be there when I get down, right?"   
      
    Oh God she sounds so hesitant and nervous and you hate yourself for it.   
      
    "I promise" you turn around to face her, flashing her a genuine smile. It takes everything you have not to push her against the wall and kiss her senseless.   
      
    She smiles back nervously, still unsure that she will actually find you in the kitchen. But as much as you want to flee, you want Caroline more. You owe it to both her and yourself to stay and talk about what the fuck happened last night.   
      
    You're both reluctant to actually move, and instead stand there in the hallway simply looking at one another. You're the first to snap out of it, and with another promising smile, make your way downstairs.   
      
    Caroline's kitchen is more immaculate than ever now Lawrence is off at university. Which always amazes you, considering she lost a teenager and gained a toddler. And she does it all by herself. Sure, she has you and your respective parents that help out with Flora from time to time, but she manages to raise a toddler, run a school and keep a stupidly large house sparkling and immaculate single handedly. Not to mention she always looks incredible.   
      
    It's nice not to trip over any baby toys you think as you navigate around Caroline's kitchen, only to trip over an empty scotch bottle instead. Your head is still banging and you look for some paracetamol in Caroline's cupboards, grinning like an idiot as you see the mug that says " _POSH TWAT_ " you bought her last Christmas, in amongst a worn, heavily used " _WORLDS BEST MUM_ " mug.   
      
    You reach for the rude mug and pour Caroline some coffee into it. She had claimed to hate that mug on Christmas morning, but obviously proudly displayed it amongst her other ones.   
      
    Making coffee in her kitchen feels strangely right. The domesticity of it just comes naturally to you. You make her the strong, black coffee you know she likes in the mornings, laying three pills next to her steaming mug.   
      
    You've passed out on her sofa enough times to know that she's like a walking chemist when she's hungover.   
      
    Caroline emerges a few moments later dressed in a light gray baggy top and leggings. You didn't even know the woman owned leggings, let alone looked like a goddess in them.   
      
    "You left these hanging off my dresser" she smirked, sashaying past you and dropping your knickers into your lap.   
      
    You can feel your cheeks burning a violent shade of crimson as you hang your head in shame. Not only did you a) forget your knickers but b) apparently wore your granny panties with a hole in the arse to seduce Caroline.   
      
    Now would be as good a time as any for the ground to swallow you up.   
      
    "I'm sorry for before" you apologise sincerely. The strong, expensive blend of coffee knocked some sense into you and woke you up.   
      
    "It's fine" Caroline shrugged, lifting the mug to her lips and drinking. "...what?" She asks, narrowing her eyes at you as you snort in laughter.   
      
    She looks down at the mug and you're sure you can see the faintest crack of a smile before she rolls her eyes.   
      
    "Oh ha ha, you're such a bloody comedian!" She deadpanned.   
      
    "Yeah well... You seem to like it" you test the waters, chancing a glance at a now blushing Caroline. "I've got a pretty good idea about what happened but... What actually did happen last night? Because the last thing I remember was drinking wine from a box on my sofa whilst watching some shit film"   
      
    "You mean you can't remember anything?"   
      
    "I vaguely remember running out of wine and remembering you had a cellar full" both of you grin at that. "But anything else, no... How did I even get here?"  
      
    "£200 taxi journey. Apparently you only had 68p in your purse so flashed the driver instead" Caroline quirked her brow, clearly enjoying watching you squirm.   
      
    "I didn't!" Your eyes widen as Caroline only nods, " _POSH TWAT_ " hiding half her face.   
      
    "You did. Although it didn't work because I found you and the driver in a screaming match on my porch"   
      
    "Oh God"   
      
    "You owe me 100 quid, by the way"   
      
    "Okay so I turned up like a drunken sailor on leave... Then what?"   
      
    "Then I carried you in, told you to wait whilst I payed the taxi fare and came back to find you sat on the kitchen floor drinking wine from the bottle"   
      
    "Oh shit yeah! It's all coming back to me now" you feel your cheeks one again burning with embarrassment. "You sat down next to me, asked what the hell was going on and I stroked your face"   
      
    "Then proceeded to tell me how beautiful I was and that John was a stupid prick with the knob of a door mouse"   
      
    "Still true"  
      
    "You then used John's favourite phrase and called me a 'mad old dyke' and then asked if I had 'magical lesbian powers'. I told you to be quiet before you said or did anything you would regret but you said you loved me then snogged me"   
      
    You could kick yourself right now you were so embarrassed. But Caroline seemed to find it amusing and endearing so that made you feel a little better. She must seriously like you if she didn't boot you out.   
      
    "Then we ended up naked in the bedroom?" You asked, still having zero memory of actually shagging Caroline.   
      
    "Kind of..." Caroline's voice had climbed several octaves, and you could tell that she was holding back.   
      
    "Is it really that bad?" you ask, wincing slightly.   
      
    "No... I mean, it's something you will be laughing about in a month or so"   
      
    You're not even sure if you want to know anymore, but the cheeky glimmer in Caroline's eye suggests she finds it highly amusing.   
      
    "I took you to bed -to put you to sleep but you just kept telling me you loved me... And several other things which I am NOT going to repeat... Attempted to seduce me by giving me a striptease, which in your drunken state was more like you tripping over a lot, then you vomited all down me and refused to let me put you, or myself, in fresh pyjamas"  
      
    "You mean we didn't..."   
      
    "Shag? No. You wanted to and believe me so did I, but not like that"  
      
    "Oh well... Thanks" you can't help but smile at that. Had it been anyone else in that situation, they probably would have shagged you. But Caroline didn't. She makes you feel beautiful and special and respected and everything a woman should feel. "And for the record, I still wanna shag you"   
      
    "Who knew Gillian Greenwood could be so romantic!" She tried to deadpan but her smile betrays her sarcasm and she ends up giggling instead.   
      
    "So we both know I like you, a lot, and I think you like me?"   
      
    "Against my better judgement, yes"   
      
    "Are we gonna do something about it?" You ask, hesitant. Just because Caroline said she likes you and wants to shag you doesn't automatically mean she actually wants to act on those feelings. "I mean it's totally cool if you don't want to"   
      
    "Vincent!" She smirks, looking pretty proud of herself. Although you and Caroline both know she had no idea what she's saying. But you find it sweet that she remembers and uses it anyway.   
      
    Caroline stays silent for a moment, her big, ocean blue eyes stare at you with a gaze so intense you swear she's burning your skin. Your heart sinks as you think that maybe, just maybe, Caroline has come to her senses. That in a split second she's realised she doesn't want you. That you're nothing more than her foul mouthed step sister who lives on a sheep farm. Oh God you feel sick to the stomach with regret and stupidity. You've clamped your eyes shut and are so desperately clawing at your memory to try and remember kissing her last night. If it's your one and only chance then you're damn sure not going to forget it.   
      
    You feel those soft, beautiful fingers ghost across your cheek bone before they come to rest behind your ear, tangled in your mess of unkempt and unruly brown locks. Her thumb brushes across your lips ever so softly, a silent message telling you that it's okay; to open your eyes. So you do.   
      
    And you're met with the most beautiful sight. Caroline's other hand comes to cup your cheek and it sends shivers down your spine as her thumb traces invisible patterns along your jawline. You feel yourself letting go as you rest your head in the palm of the other woman's hand.   
      
    "God, you are _beautifu_ l" Caroline smiles, biting her bottom lip as her eyes explore every inch of your face. Your chest feels like it's about to explode and you very almost snort. And Caroline seems to pick up on that. "You don't believe me?" She asks, seemingly genuinely shocked at the thought.   
      
    "No?" You shrug, almost getting lost in the beauty that is Caroline Dawson. There aren't enough minutes in the day for you to truly admire the extent of her beauty.   
      
    "What?! Hasn't anyone ever told you you're beautiful?"   
      
    "Yeah but it was either followed by a beating or to get me into bed" you shrug, trying not to let the bad memories tar this moment. Robbie had made you feel beautiful and special and loved once upon a time, but then you fell in love with Caroline and that fell to shit.   
      
    "Yeah well... You are. Insanely so" if Caroline's smile got any wider now you're sure her face would split in two. "If you'll let me, I will show you just how beautiful you truly are"   
      
    And before you can say anything, Caroline's lips are on yours, her hands at the base of your neck pulling you in. Her lips are so soft and she tastes of coffee and a hint of mint and you swear it's the most beautiful flavour. You can feel her eyelashes flutter against your face and her hand moves south and wraps around your waist. Your tongue traces her bottom lip and she hungrily grants you entrance.   
      
    And oh what a surprise, you're both battling for dominance. She squeezes your hip, which spurs something inside you and next thing you know, you've pushed Caroline up against the fridge and are grinding your hips against hers. This action elicits a low, animalistic moan from the blonde and you take this as a good sign and kiss her even harder. You can't remember them getting there, but Caroline's hands are teasing the milky flesh beneath your shirt and yours... Well yours are on her arse and are squeezing it as though your life depended on it, but who can really blame you?  
      
    She bites your bottom lip slightly and smiles before she pulls away, her lips swollen and her hot, heavy breath washing over your already flushed face.   
      
    "Wait" she's panting hard and you can feel her chest heave against you as she gasps for air. "Do you... I mean, are you-"   
      
    "-oh just shut up and fuck me already" you groan before silencing the blonde with another deep kiss. Your hands roam up her back and under her t-shirt and oh sweet Jesus the woman isn't wearing a bra and you think that alone is enough to make you come.   
      
    As Caroline fumbles with the button on your jeans, her knuckles digging I to your flesh as she does, you are suddenly so thankful you forgot your underwear this morning!


End file.
